A M D G Beaumont Union Review Winter 2018
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A M D G BEAUMONT UNION REVIEW WINTER 2018 Reputations whether we like them or not are important in all things, it's harder to build than to destroy. Building a good reputation requires effort, patience, and time. Destroying a good reputation only requires a single moment's error. One thing is certain, there is a high cost to pay for losing your reputation, your good standing with those you rely on. Experience has shown that a badly handled crisis may well be devastating. When choosing a school, parents understandably value academic achievement highly; but they are often even more concerned about the safety and environment of the establishment and it is that rounded education that is often the basis of the school‘s reputation. The names of Downside and Ampleforth are evocative of educating young Catholics in the Faith. But now those two words have another, very different resonance, one amplified by the report in August from the Inquiry into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). The details are unbearable. Many members of the BU chose one of these two schools for their children‘s‘ education and as far as I know the vast majority were happy with their choice as were their children. None if any, knew what was going on: the scandals were made worse by the cover-up. It must be greatly upsetting for those who have been proud of their Alma Mater confident in that hard earned reputation to hear and read such revelations. We can count ourselves fortunate to have been at Beaumont, wear the tie without shame and associate together in the knowledge of ―Vivat sine macula nomen Beaumontanum‖. NOTICES OBITUARIES I regret to inform you of the death of Anthony de Trafford (53) at his home in Malta, 29 June; the last of the Trafford connections to Beaumont. Hugo Duplessis (41), a remarkable sailor. Anthony Scott (59), not the rowing coach but remembered for his cricket. Lt-Colonel Patrick Walsh (52) late Royal Engineers. MUSEUM Certain memorabilia is now at St John‘s awaiting the display cases. I am very grateful to those who have sent me ―bits and bobs‖. In particular, Robert Bruce who has produced much of the boating and Corps items, the late Tony Mathews for his Henley blazer, Tom Scanlon for Cricket and Michael de Burgh for Rugby. Others that have produced items are David Flood, Peter Peake, Barrie Martin, Michael Perrett-Young, Ant Stevens, Henry Stevens (his much loved Boxing Blazer) and David Fettes Please keep up the rummaging in the attic. A many of you are aware the lounge Chair is already at St John‘s having been bequeathed a number of years ago but we do lack a ferrula. (I know of one OB who has the original and perhaps, if it is no longer in use or been bequeathed to a modern day Cynthia Payne, I hope it may well come our way). Otherwise if anyone else has one…….(discretion assured). BUEF We had hoped that Philip Stevens would lead another Battlefield Tour: sadly this is not going to be possible. Philip wrote: You need an explanation of why am not going to do another BU trip. I have retired from running trips, so a come-back would involve enormous amounts of work and site visits for a one-off event. It is one thing to know the ground, but altogether another to set up involving totally new arrangements for travel around the ground, catering, accommodation and even the minor stuff like pit-stop opportunities. In addition, Nicky and I are already looking at ideas for a two month driving holiday in Europe, from mid-May to early July, which we have promised ourselves as an extension of our annual five weeks' trip. My focus now is on lecturing about the Great War. Schools, military societies, museums and the like seem to offer me about the right number of engagements each season. Lecturing raises money for military charities who receive my honoraria. Finally, it's like acting; I learn the lines, can deliver them to new audiences all the time and someone else does the logistical work. I replied:- Philip – quite understood: time to turn the page but thank you again for the expeditions we did. Everyone much appreciated all your hard work and preparation that made them a memorable experience – why else would we have asked for another? NEWS, LATE NEWS AND BETTER LATE THAN NEVER NEWS. BU LUNCH We gathered by tradition on the second Monday in October at the Caledonian Club. Numbers were a little down on last year (Your Editor debated with the Hon Sec as to whose speech last year was responsible).In fairness many of the faithful were unavoidably detained elsewhere but it was particularly pleasing to welcome back some we have not seen in a little while including Peter Bicknell, Antony Hussey and Jeremy Gompertz among the ―seniors‖. Messrs Bicknell, Wells, Hussey and Gompertz Those who had travelled from afar: Konrad Wallerstein who was one of those that had to go north to Stonyhurst was over from The States, David Crewe-Read from Malta, Ian Bangham Ireland , Romain de Cock Belgium, and of course our President Guy Bailey Monaco. Sadly Christian Forbes had to cancel his flight from Canada because of illness, as did Henry Stevens. Jerry Gilmore who is on crutches having broken his femur was also advised at the last moment not to attend. (We certainly hope that Jerry will soon be ―crutchless‖ which in view of his surgical expertise would seem an appropriate sentiment). Tony Outred was prevented at the final hour by a lorry- load of his antiques, but we were pleased that he was represented by his son George. Fifty nine eventually sat down to reminisce and an ―upmarket take‖ on Refectory fodder. We were indeed fortunate to have the Royal Navy ashore; the first time they had been allowed command of ―The Ship‖ since Commodore Colin Shand. Captain Christopher McHugh and Major Robert Bruce RM (claiming Senior Service status) gave us excellent speeches which I reproduce for those unable to come. I‘m pleased to report that Robert and Christopher did not clash unlike the destroyer that rammed the cruiser and whose captain when asked what action he was going to take, replied ―Buy a farm‖. Major Robert Bruce Picture this scene if you will. The midnight sleeper is set to leave Euston, bound for Inverness and ensconced on the bottom bunk of one compartment lies a young man, already tucked up in bed, with a large whisky poured and avidly reading (or at least looking at) the latest copy of Playboy magazine. It is 5 to 12 and doors are already being slammed ready for departure when suddenly there is a knock at the young man‘s compartment door and a figure dressed in dinner jacket rushes in and asks for the compartment number. He then informs the young man that he is due to share his compartment with the Bishop of the Orkney Islands, who will be arriving at any moment. Seconds later a short and rather portly gentleman arrives wearing a scruffy beige mac with an equally scruffy black beret perched on his balding head - the only sign that he might be a cleric is his dog collar, but the young man is somewhat nonplussed as he has neither the accoutrements nor indeed the presence you might expect of a Bishop. And he certainly was no Bishop although he used rto title himself as such; he was Father ‗Bogs‘ Bamber Society of Jesus returning to his parish in the Orkney Islands after attending an extremely good BU dinner and shepherded on his way by John Flood, Simon Potter and myself (although for accuracy‘s sake, I admit to failing memory and it might have been Jerry Hawthorne, not Simon Potter). We did all laugh a good deal afterwards about ther bemused young man, but unfortunately we never found out if he had offered Fr Bamber a whisky, or even a sneak peek at his Playboy magazine. I am not sure what we learn from this story, except perhaps that life is full of the unpredictable - and certainly your Chairman and I who spent the best of our working years in the Royal Navy learnt there about the unpredictability of life. We joined Beaumont together in 1959 under the watchful eye of Fr ‗Fizz‘ Ezechiel , both in Ruds A and in the Laundry Dorm - nicknamed ‗Fizz‘ of course because of his unpredictable mood and temper; good preparation for Her Majesty‘s Service! But I wonder how well and in what other ways Beaumont prepared us for life in the Service. Robert Wilkinson in his advert for today‘s lunch in his consistently quite excellent Beaumont Review, suggested that neither of us were stretched by Beaumont - Actually, I don‘t remember Beaumont stretching anyone, rather it gave us the freedom and responsibility, based on a framework of religion, academics, games and activities, to stretch ourselves if we chose - or not, as was the case for many of us! Perhaps this rigid framework passed her by, because HM The Queen is reported to have commented to Fr ‗Stan‘ Costigan on her centenary visit that the College was the most uninstitutional school that she had visited - you could have fooled me! But Christopher McHugh‘s journey through Beaumont did give him other preparations for his naval career. As a leading member of the Scientific Society and with A-Levels in science subjects, specialisation as a Marine Engineer Officer in the Navy was a natural progression.